The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-13

and lockout as a means of settling DIS
putes in labor circles.
A single county in Pennsylvania, so am
informed, spent in one year Sl7 900, 600 for
drink. That county contains the largest
industrial popu lation, comparatively, of
any in the State. OF the ST., LOCO
100000 come from the pockets of
working. men. New York City, in one
near contributes Sl5, 800, 600 to keep men
and women in poverty, hunger and cold,
while one county in Pennsylvania adds
Sl1,0OO,000, making total of $500 900.
Twenty million six hundred thousand
dollars l have a conumdrum to ask of
you, Mr.. Purdy: If the general officers OF
the Knights of Labor are thieves because
they levy an assessment which brings in
less than dollar apiece for each man,
woman and child who needs it, what
would you call the men who collect as a
voluntary gift from foolish working men
the sum of s26, 800, 0)O in one yearl
The press, and not a few indignant
working men, raved because the twenty
fve-cent assessment was levied; but both
press and indignant working men remain
ed silent while that damnable robbery of
S25, 100000 was going on. Who arraigns
the poor drunkard now9 Does he not ar
raign himself before the bar of condemna-
the bar of rum hole2
| The Richmo nd session of the General
Assembly voted S50,0O0 to purchase head
quarters for the order; $4,000 went
to buy the building on Broad
street. Philadelphia. For complying
| with the order of the General AS
sembly, the general officers have been
abused and slandered most villainously,
| principally by men who never contributed
cent toward the purchase of the build.
ing. The enemies of the Order have
styled the headquarters, "The Palace"
On another street in the city of Philadelphia
there is a saloon called the ''Palace" ]
inquired of the proprietor what it cost him,
and he said so, 900. Nine years ago he be-
gan business, selling rum on a capital OF
S73, and in that time he has acquired the
money with which to purchase the build
ing and the lot on which it stands. He
also owns $4,000 in railroad securities
all on an original cash capital of S73. His
| patrons are chiefly worlling-men. Why do
we not hear protest go up against the
means ~ which that palace was erected!
at is not required of you by the
| constitution or laws of the Knights
of Labor" l know it. Neither is
it. stated in the constitution of the
order that l shall not stand on the
public highway and rob the passer-by, yet
know that 1 should not do such thing.
If | saw man about to hang himself the
constitution does not specify that | should
cut the rope.
"You could we'll afford to remain silent,
or at least neutral, preferring to teach by
example rather than by precept" If l
cared more for the praise and appreciation
of lab IRIS enemies than do for the inter-
! nStS of labor I would rnmain silant ba
man who remains neutral while his friend
is in the grasp of an enemy, or while his
friend is n danger, is a coward at heart
| and does not deserve the name of man or
| friend. Remain silent and neutral while
| the house Is or fire and you have nothing
| left but blackened, defaced walls and
ashes.
Teach by example! l can not, in so
| large a country as this If my example is
| good, then my words should proclaim it ia
the world. l am no better than other men,
| but the virtue of temperance is g od ever
in a bad man, and that is what l wish tc
hold up before our members and working.
men outside of our order.
livery much fear that you will be mis-
UNDERSTOOD Do not fear; l will not be
misunderstood when this letter is read.
am not fanatic. do not damn the man
who sells liquor. 1 have nothing against
him. Many men who sell liquor were once
working men and were victimized through
a strike or lockout. l would not njure
| hair of their heads, but would so educate
! working men that they would never enter
| a saloon. Then the money saved from
| rum and rum holes would go to purchase
| necess aries, and such an increased stimu-
| lus would be given to trade that the rum
| seller could return to an honest way OF
making living
may be taken to task for being severe
on the working-men. 1t may be said that
| SANDER them, even Ii to tell the truth
is to be severe, then on this one question l
| hope some day to be severity itself; but l
speak to working men because it is in their
welfare that l am interested. | have not
| ban delegated to watch or guard the
fortunes of millionaires, and in no way can
l hope to accomplish any thing until state
my policy freely and frankly to those I
represent. We are seeking to reform ex-
isting evils. We are seeking to reform
| ourselves.
Some mischievous urchins once found
man sleeping by the roadside. They pro,
| cured some SCOT and blackened his face.
! When he aWoSe and went into the crowd.
ed street every man he met laughed at
| him. He did not learn the cause of the
merriment until friend held mi rror UP
before him. He became very mad, and
for time felt angry toward the man who
held the mirror; but he soon came to his
senses, lad the blame where it properly
belonged, and thanked tire man vino
showed him why others ridiculed him.
l am holding the mirror up to human
nature True, it exposes folly and vice.
l may and do receive condemnation, but if
l can only show the men l speak to- who
it Is that is blackening their faces char
acters and hearts; if l can only show them
| how to remove the stains and become
sober men again, will be content to put
up with their anger for l know that they
will one day thank me or bless my memory
for the words have spoken and written
in the cause Of temperance.
Il. V. PowDERLY.